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South Dining Hall evacuates for small fire

South Dining Hall was evacuated and the start of dinner delayed Sunday afternoon due to a small fire in the serving area, dining hall staff said.

Dining hall manager Dennis Smith said the open flame was not big enough to trip the fire alarms, but it was close enough to an oil spray can to risk a small explosion, so dining hall staff evacuated those who would be in the affected area — the serving area and Reckers. The announcement, made through pager and PA systems, did not reach the Observer office in the basement of the building.

The building was closed for about 30 minutes past the start of dinner hours at 4:30 p.m.

Notre Dame Fire Department officers at the scene said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.